New VA medical center director is first female in role

The Tuscaloosa Veterans Affairs Medical Center officially has a new director, Maria R. Andrews, who started in her new role this month.

By Lydia Seabol AvantStaff Writer

The Tuscaloosa Veterans Affairs Medical Center officially has a new director, Maria R. Andrews, who started in her new role this month.

Andrews, a native of Pennsylvania, is the first female director of the Tuscaloosa VA. She has spent 34 years working in the VA system, starting as a dietitian intern in Chicago, then moving up the ranks from a clinical dietitian role to administration.

Over the years she has worked for the VA in Wilkes-Barre, Pa., Albuquerque, N.M., and El Paso, Texas. Most recently, she served as associate director and chief operating officer at the VA Southern Nevada Healthcare System in Las Vegas, where she oversaw more than 1,800 employees and a $400 million budget.

Andrews said that her experience has prepared her for the director role.

“I feel nothing but excitement,” Andrews said. “I'm not only prepared for this, but I wanted to advance to director.”

Tuscaloosa stands out among VAs because of its history and also because of its culture within the VA, Andrews said. The Tuscaloosa VA serves nearly 20,000 veterans with a workforce of more than 1,000 employees. It has an operating budget of more than $150 million.

“(The Tuscaloosa VA) has a very rich history of success, and I can jump in and sustain that success,” she said.

Andrews said it was apparent her first day on the job how much the staff at the VA enjoy what they do and how much they really care for the veterans. That has a positive impact not only on the care veterans receive, but on the overall culture of the VA campus, Andrews said.

“There is a difference between accountability and ownership,” Andrews said. “Our staff has managed to set the bar very, very high.”

Andrews replaces former Tuscaloosa VA Director Alan Tyler, who retired in January after working in the VA system for 40 years.

Tyler's legacy on the Tuscaloosa VA is that it has expanded its services in recent years and is extremely well run, she said. Andrews said she hopes to continue that growth and continue to give the veterans the best possible service.

“I'm excited about the process and can take this already well-functioning organization to the next highest level,” Andrews said.

The Tuscaloosa VA underwent its review by the joint commission, which surveys the hospital and awards accreditation, every three years in her first days here. Going through the accreditation process early allowed her to learn more about the Tuscaloosa VA than she might otherwise have in her first week on the job.

“It gave me a bird's-eye view of the Tuscaloosa VA, which was helpful as an outsider,” she said.

The Tuscaloosa VA will continue to focus on its specialties, including mental health and serving the senior citizen population. But the VA will also ensure that veterans receive the care they need outside those specialities, she said.

“My plans at this point are more global,” Andrews said. “I want to make sure that veterans have all the services they need, not just necessarily in Tuscaloosa. But we have resources to make sure they have the full continuum in care, not just in mental health and geriatrics.”

Andrews is the mother of three grown children and a grandmother. Her husband relocated to Tuscaloosa last week.